The truckers went on strike this time after the Russian government announced it would double the Platon [toll-collection system] tariff as of April 15… [The] government softened that blow in March, temporarily raising the fee by a lesser amount to about 3.4 cents per kilometer.

That doesn’t seem like much. But Ibragimov says he travels 100,000 kilometers in a year, which would add up to $3,400. His annual income, he said, is $6,500 in the best of times. Given fuel expenses and wear and tear, he is looking at a net loss.

The Washington Post has nearly destroyed its credibility with its feverishly biased coverage of Trump’s campaign and presidency. However this report raises no suspicions of bias: it’s not about Trump and it fits well with dispatches by independent Russian journalists. Check out Reading Russia for helpful translations.